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The African continent is full of superlative surprises. Here, you will get to see the best of everything that nature has to offer; the longest river, the largest waterfall, and an amazing range of wildlife. If you have an adventurous soul then Africa will be like heaven on earth for you as it is loaded with natural beauty. Here are some super interesting facts about Africa that will show you how incredibly stunning this continent is. Let's just get started!
? Interesting Geographical Facts of Africa
It is said that long before life came into being on planet earth, in the early Mesozoic era, Africa was not a separate continent as we see today. Rather, Africa was a part of a massive continent that is named "Pangaea" and other continents were part of this huge single continent. Then over the course of millions of years and due to various climatic changes and alterations in the landscape, this huge continent (Pangaea) tore apart into the separate continents as we know now on the map.
• The total number of countries in the continent: Can you guess how many countries are recognized within the African continent? No, let's try while keeping in mind that it's the world's second-largest continent. Well, let me tell you, there are 54 countries in Africa along with the disputed (unrecognized) territories of Western Sahara and Somaliland. Among these, Algeria is the largest country with respect to the area it covers and the island of Seychelles is the smallest one by area.
• Africa is the second-largest continent, and with that, it covers about 20% of the total land area of the world and also about 6% of the total surface area of the earth.
• Geographical Uniqueness: Africa is the only continent among seven which touches both the Northern temperate zone and the Southern temperate zone, thanks to its enormous size.
• Africa's Largest City: Without a doubt, Cairo stands on the top is the largest city in the whole African continent.
• Largest desert: Africa is home to the largest hot desert in the world, the Sahara desert. Sahara desert is spread on about 3.6 million square miles or 9 million square kilometers which is almost the size of China. This desert accounts for about 31% of Africa while covering huge portions of Chad, Algeria, Libya, Mali, Egypt, Niger, Mauritania, Western Sahara, Tunisia, and Sudan.
• Africa's Stunning Largest Waterfall: There is no shortage of beautiful and interesting facts about Africa.
You will be amazed to see the gigantic beauty of Africa's largest waterfall which is called, Victoria Falls. Though it is named by the Scottish explorer, David Livingstone in 1855 after the Scottish reigning queen, however, the locals Kalolo- Lozi folks have given this fall quite an accurate name that perfectly suits the grandeur of this waterfall and that is Mosi-oa-Tunya or "The Smoke that Thunders".
Once you are around the magically misty and beautifully thunderous view of the largest waterfall, you'll realize the accuracy of this name. This thing of spectacular beauty is the exotic pride of Africa, and it attracts numerous visitors all around the year. Now where you got to go to see this magnificent waterfall? Well, Victoria Falls is located on the borderline of Zimbabwe and Zambia. This waterfall is 108 meters or 354 feet tall with an extravagant width of 1708 meters or 5604 feet.
• Africa's Longest River: The longest river of Africa is the world's longest river as well and that is "River Nile". Nile river is called the "Father of African Rivers" due to its enormous size and also because of its immense historical and religious significance.
This river starts flows through 10 African countries including Uganda, Egypt, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, South Sudan, Sudan, and Kenya.
Talking about how long the longest river is, it is about 6650 kilometers or 4132 miles long while covering approximately 3349000 squares kilometers or 1293000 square miles area.
• Africa's Largest Lake: Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa, and is the main reservoir of the River Nile. This lake lies between the borders of Uganda and Tanzania mainly; and also borders with Kenya. On the basis of the size, it is the world's second-largest freshwater lake and the largest one is "Lake Superior" in North America.
And among the tropical lakes, Lake Victoria holds the first place. Coming to the size of the lake, it covers the surface area of 67800 square kilometers or 26600 square miles.
Interestingly, this lake is home to more than 200 fish species and that accounts for immense economic support for the locals.
• Africa's Largest Island: Africa's largest island is called "Madagascar" which is at the 4th place globally. The first three are Greenland, New Guinea, and Borneo. Madagascar is situated on the Indian ocean.
• Africa's Tallest Mountain: The highest mountain of this amazing continent is Mount Kilimanjaro which exists on the beautiful plains of Tanzania. The total height of this highest African mountain is 19341 feet or 5895 meters. Mount Kilimanjaro is the world's highest free-standing mountain.
• Loaded Gold Mines: South African gold mines are famous all around the globe. Witwatersrand, a plateau in South Africa has special significance in this regard, as it has produced almost half the amount of gold ever extracted from the depth of the earth. This definitely is one of the most interesting facts about Africa that's really unbelievable.
• Hottest Temperature: There is no denying of the fact that Africa is the hottest place on the earth overall.
Acknowledging that, it is obvious that the world's hottest place will be in Africa. The highest average temperature of the world was measured in a place called Dallol in Northern Ethiopia.
The average temperature measured at this place is about 33.89 degrees Celsius or 93 degrees Fahrenheit.
? Most Favorite Tourists Attractions of Africa
Africa is enriched with stunning natural beauty, rich cultural history, majestic wildlife, and amazing places. Once there, you will fall in love with the charismatic magnificence of Africa; and only a single visit to this enchanting continent will leave everlasting imprints on your mind. Acknowledging the stunning beauty of Africa, tourism increased by 2% in the year 2014 as per the yearly report published by the United Nations Tourism Organization. Africa welcomes tourists from all around the world, however Asian, European and North American tourists came in higher the number than others.
Here, you will get to see the most stunning African attractions to visit this year.
1. Pyramids of Giza
The Pyramids of Giza of Egypt reflect the epitome of human engineering and architectural finesse. As per the geographical data, these pyramids were constructed more than 5000 years ago; and still stand tall with the same grandeur, splendor, and majesty. The Pyramid of Giza is among the seven wonders of the world; and one of the most popular tourist destinations. Three major pyramids are renowned here naming, the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Menkaur, and the Pyramid of Khafre. And in front of the Pyramids of Giza lies the most famous of them all, the Sphinx. Surely, a must-visit site.
2. The Maasai Mara National Reserve
The Maasai Mara National Reserves of Kenya exhibit unparalleled opportunities to see wildlife in their natural habitat. Not only that, you'll be stunned to see the spectacular scenery of every nook and corner of this place. This reserve/ park is connected to Serengeti National Park of Tanzania, and with the merger of both of these natural reserves becomes a one of a kind safari destination. This is one of the best spots all around the world to visit for wildlife enthusiasts. Moreover, the administration offers a number of fun activities to do as well.
3. Djenné
Djenné is one of the oldest Sub-Saharan cities. Djenné was used as the median place by the traders to shuttle their stuff between the Guinea forests and the Sahara Desert. Moreover, this place was renowned for Islamic teachings. And because of Islamic historic significance, you will see some grand mosques, and depiction of Islamic architecture as well. Whenever you'll be planning to visit Africa, do visit Djenné in Mali.
4. Omo River Region
All those who are looking to experience the adventures of Africa's wilderness will love Ethiopia's Omo River region. This place is separated from the hustle and bustle of the modern world, and the locals carry on their historic traditions and rituals as is. If you truly wish to experience the authenticity of African tribes, then visit the Omo River Region along with a guided tour.
5. Victoria Falls
As mentioned earlier, Victoria Falls are present on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe; and the visitors of both the countries can enjoy its view. This utterly gorgeous view attracts numerous travelers to Africa from all around the globe.
6. Zanzibar
Zanzibar is world-famous for its calm and fascinating beaches. Tanzania's tourism mainly relies on the beauty of Zanzibar. It is surrounded by the tranquility of the Indian Ocean off the coast of Tanzania. Stone Town is one of the major highlights of this island which depicts the Arab rule over here. Stone Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site. There you will get to see narrow alleyways, traditional houses, palaces, mosques and loads of buildings with historic architecture. After traveling Zanzibar, you will forget about Spain's alleyways.
7. Marrakech
Marrakech is an Imperial city, situated aside the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. This city takes pride in depicting the authentic traditional significance of the region. Festive season never stops in Marrakech. Visiting the old city of Marrakech is a must. There you will get to experience the true vibrancy of Marrakech's flavors. There is delicious food, unique spices, amazing bazaars, simply an overwhelmingly beautiful experience on the whole.
8. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is definitely the jewel in Uganda's crown. This park is part of the Virunga Conservation Area and is considered one of the very few places to see the endangering mountain gorillas. As there are only 800 mountain gorillas have left on the earth, seeing them freely roaming around in the wild is definitely an utterly unique experience. The mystical landscape of this national park is home to several unique animals. Here you will also get to see extinct volcanoes, crisscrossed trees, and surely dense depths of the rainforest.
9. Mount Kilimanjaro
All those adventurous souls who are in constant search of traveling some unique, exploratory, and fun places this Mouth Kilimanjaro is surely a must-see sight. This mouth is situated in Tanzania and is 5895 meters tall. Mountaineers take about 5 to 9 days to reach the top of this gorgeous natural beauty. And the view from the top of it is worth seeing.
10. Cape Town
Cape Town represents an amazing mix of African traditions with a modern touch. This place exhibits first-class authentic culture, gorgeous sceneries, premium restaurants, and stunning natural beauty. Cape Town is, without any doubt, the most mesmerizing and happening city of South Africa. If you are planning to visit Africa, then coming to Cape Town is definitely a must. It has loads to offers including golden beaches, gigantic mountains, delectable cuisine, and so much more.
? Interesting Facts about the African People
The list of interesting facts about Africa is nowhere near over, as now we are going to find out about some of the most unique, distinctive and special facts about the beautiful people of Africa.
• Africa's Total Population: Africa's population is increasing speedily with every second, and currently it is about 1.3 billion. And this is approximately 15% of the world's total population.
• Africa's most populated country: The largest country of Africa on the basis of population is Nigeria. This country is home to more than 181.5 million people approximately.
• Africa's Least Populated Country: Though the least populated territory of Africa is Seychelles with about 97,000 people in total; but with the official independent status of a country, Namibia is the least populated country of Africa with about 2.7 million people.
• Africa's Largest Religion: In Africa, the followers of Islam and Christianity are almost of the same number, as the number of protestant Christians is increasing very fast. Owning to the popularity of Christianity in Africa, it is estimated that there will be more than 633 million Christians in Africa by the year 2025.
• Astonishing Number of Languages: You will definitely be amazed to know that the number of indigenous African languages is between 1500 and 2000. Officially, Zimbabweans speak the most number of languages, 16. However, it is said that only in Nigeria, people can speak more than 520 languages.
• Now coming to one of the most interesting facts about Africa and its people. Geologists and Historians have discovered the oldest human remain in Ethiopia. The study showed that these remains can be approximately 200,000 years old.
• Name of the Oldest Tribe: The oldest African tribe is of the San people, and these are considered direct descendants of our species, Homo sapiens. The home of this tribe was the lands of Southern African countries including Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, and Angola, where they had lived for more than 20,000 years.
• Total Number of Groups on the basis of Varying Ethnicity: Due to its enormity, Africa inhabits an exceedingly huge number of ethnicities. According to some estimates, it is believed that there are more than 3000 ethnic groups reside on the beautiful lands of Africa. To name a few most famous ones,
1. The Luba and the Mongo in the region of Central Africa,
2. the Berbers are most populous in Northern Africa,
3. the Yoruba and the Igbo are most populous in the West African region,
4. and the Shona and the Zulu are the most populous and oldest tribes in the region of Southern Africa.
• Do you know where Africa has taken its name? Well, it is believed that Africa was named by the ancient Romans. Africa's name was given to a province that was home to "Afri" tribes after Romans defeated the city of Carthage of ancient Northern Africa.
Well, hope you are enjoying this amazing list of interesting facts about Africa. If you are an African, or love reading about the African people, and have found that this the category of interesting facts about the African people is missing some really interesting facts than please feel free to share in the comments section. And all those who haven't heard much about the African people and their amazing historical significance, hope you have found these facts quite interesting (and some shockingly amazing).
The list is still going on! Keep reading to know more exciting stuff about beautiful Africa.
? Interesting Facts About an Enormous Range of African Animals
Undoubtedly, when we are talking about the interesting facts about Africa, leaving behind the African animals is surely impossible. African animals are famous all around the globe for the range of species and also because Africa provides the perfect habitat to survive and thrive to most of the animal species. Let's see some special stuff about African wildlife.
• Largest African Mammal: African bush elephant is the biggest African mammal. This huge elephant weighs 11.5 tons with a height of 4 meters or 13 feet. This elephant is not only the largest one in Africa but is the second-largest animal in the whole world as well, second to the enormous blue whale.
• Largest African Bird: The largest bird on the planet earth is Ostrich which exists commonly in Africa. The maximum height of a common ostrich is 2.6 meters or 8.5 feet with 135 kilograms weight.
• Smallest African Mammal: The smallest mammal in Africa is Etruscan pygmy shrew with 1.6 inches length and 1.8 grams of weight. With respect to the smallest mass, this animal is also the smallest mammal in the world as well.
• Tallest African Animal: Giraffe is the record-holding tallest animal on earth and Giraffe loves American soil. No footage of African wildlife is complete if you haven't seen any giraffes roaming around in the wild here and there. The tallest giraffe recorded reached 19.3 feet or 5.88 meters in height. Male giraffes are taller than female giraffes.
• Fastest African Animal: The mesmerizingly attractive Cheetah is the fastest animal in the globe and African wildlife is enriched with a beautiful creature of nature. As per the data gathered, Cheetah can run at the 112 kmph or 70 mph speed which is just mindboggling.
• The Deadliest Animal in Africa: Africa has no shortage of deadly animals. But Hippopotamus takes the cake. Hippo is considered the deadliest African animal in the wild.
• Beware of the Mosquito Army: When in the wild or in the urban area, you got to be stay protected from the overwhelmingly huge army of mosquitoes all over. Don't get frightened, but about 90% of the mosquito population lives in Africa. And as per record collected in 2015, malaria (one of the most common diseases spread through mosquitoes) killed about 438,000 people in a year globally. So, you better have some mosquito repellant creams and sprays alongside when visiting this amazing continent.
• Largest Reptile: The largest reptile on planet earth, the Nile crocodile, calls Africa it's home. The weight of this majestic reptile ranges between 220 to 550 kilograms with a length of 4.2 meters.
There you go! Hope you have enjoyed reading about the interesting facts about Africa as much as I loved writing about them. And I really hope that you will add one of the numerous stunning African places in your bucket list to travel to. Africa has loads to offer for its visitors as it had remain home to numerous cultures. You will experience a variety of traditions, languages, ethnicities, architecture, languages, natural spots, weather, and surely people in this one beautiful continent. Africa is surely full of pleasant surprises and interesting people.
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